Strawberry plant

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of strawberry plant of a short-day type characterized by its good performance throughout California and its generally earlier production with exceptionally large, high quality fruit when winter planted in Coastal Southern California. The variety has a yield equal to or greater than the heavy yielding California cultivars Tigoa, Tufts and Aiko. Plants are vigorous and prolific runner makers, though runner generation is less than Tufts in fruit plantings. Fruit shape is medium long to long conic and much is flat wedged with a distinct small neck. Skin is smooth and glossy. Fruit averages larger in size than Tufts and its flavor is equal to or better than the best important California cultivars. Fruit is adequate for shipping and processing.

This invention relates to a new and distinctive short-day typestrawberry cultivar designated C51 which is the result of a crossbetween "Tufts" (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 3,561) and Cal 64.57-108 (notpatented).

C51 first fruited at the University of California, South Coast FieldStation, Santa Ana in 1974 where it was selected and designatedoriginally as Cal 72.266-604.

C51 has since been tested with favorable results and asexuallyreproduced by runners at various University of California field stationsand facilities and has also been favorably tested in representativegrowers fields under strict control. Meristem originated virus negativestock for asexual reproduction is under development at the University ofCalifornia.

FIG. 1 of the accompanying photographic color reproductions showstypical growth, flowering and fruiting characteristics of C51 in awinter planting in Southern California at mid-season.

FIG. 2 shows a typical mid-summer mature leaf from a winter plantedplant.

FIG. 3 shows representative mid-season fruit of C51 with longitudinaland cross section views.

C51 has performed well throughout California but has done best in winterplantings in coastal Southern California where it is generally earlierin production of exceptionally large, high quality fruit than any otherCalifornia cultivar. Yield trials have demonstrated that it is likely toproduce about as much or more fruit than the heavy yielding Californiacultivars "Tioga" (not patented), "Tufts" and "Aiko" (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 3,981) under favorable conditions in summer or winter plantings.

The distinctive characteristics of this new strawberry cultivardescribed in detail below were observed upon its discovery and/orthrough the test period.

DESCRIPTION

Plants and foliage: C51 plants are semi erect in growth habit similar to"Tufts", medium large in size about equal to "Tufts" or "Tioga" and muchlarger than "Aiko". Bract leaves occur on about 30% of the petioles ofwinter planted plants but seldom if ever on summer planted ones, muchless than "Tioga", "Tufts" or "Aiko". Leaflets of C51 are about 15%larger than those of "Tioga" or "Tufts" and about 35% larger than thoseof "Aiko". They are distinctly lighter in color than those of "Tioga","Tufts" or "Aiko"; about 2.5 GY 6/8 vs. 2.5 GY 4/3, 7.5 GY 5/7 and 7.5GY 4.4, respectively (Munsell Color System -- Nickerson Color Fan). Theleaflets have about the same number of serrations as those of "Aiko" and"Tioga" (av of ±10/half blade) but less than "Tufts" (av of ±12/halfblade) as averaged over the half blades of the 3 leaflets on mid-seasonmature leaves at Watsonville. The plants are vigorous and C51 is aprolific runner maker in the nursery. It generates less runners than"Tufts" in fruit plantings.

Isozymes in leaf extracts: Phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI): C51 gave afast 3 banded pattern similar to that of "Cruz" (U.S. Plant Pat. No.3,979) 35/35 35/35 35/35 35/40 mm, different than the "Tioga" singleband; the "Tufts" slow 3 banded or the "Aiko" 5 band patterns(Scandalios. 1969. Biochem. Genet. 3:37-79).

Flowering and flowers: C51 is a standard short-day type that commencesflowering earlier than "Tufts" or "Tioga" in winter plantings in coastalSouthern California. Inflorescences are about as long as those of"Tufts", much longer than those of either "Aiko" or "Tioga". The flowersare highly self fertile with ample pollen throughout the season.

Fruit and Fruiting: C51 has medium long to long conic fruits almostalways smooth, usually somewhat hollow centered and much of it is flatlywedged with a distinct small neck. The general shape and appearance ofthe fruit is very similar to that of "Tufts" but it appears to be lessprone to roughness. The fruit skin color of C51 is distinctly redderthan that of "Tufts", about 6 R 4/12 vs. 7.5 R 5.5/12, respectively(ibid). The finish is glossy and the flesh color is about the same asthe skin, ranging to only slightly lighter in the center. The calyx isrelatively small and distinctly reflexed. The achenes are slightlylarger than those of "Tufts" and tend to be exserted similarly to thoseof "Tufts". The fruit is slightly less firm and less durable that thatof "Aiko", "Tioga" or "Tufts", giving penetrometer readings of ±6.2 vs.±6.7 for the three cultivars at Watsonville. The fruit has averagedsomewhat larger in size than that of "Tufts" in most tests, typicallyabout ±23 g/fr vs. ±21 for "Tufts".

Fruit quality--Ascorbic acid: C51 has averaged ±42 mg/100 g fresh fruit,slightly greater than "Tioga" (±40), slightly less than "Tufts" (±45)and considerably less than "Aiko" (±60) as tested by the method ofLoeffler and Ponting. 1942. J. Indust. Eng. Chem. 14:846. Solublesolids: C51 averaged ±9.1%, not significantly different from "Aiko","Tioga" or "Tufts" according to our tests or mid-summer Watsonvillefruit. The flavor of C51 is equal to or better than that of the bestimportant California cultivars in our opinion. Many have judged itexceptionally good. As a shipping fruit, it is very adequate and it ispromising for processing.

We claim:
 1. The new and distinct variety of strawberry plant hereindescribed and illustrated, and identified by the characteristicsenumerated above.